Adams-Onis Treaty

The Adams-Onis Treaty was a treaty that was signed between the United States and Spain on 22 February 1819, ceding Florida to the USA and establishing a border between the USA and New Spain. The First Seminole War of 1817-1818 saw General Andrew Jackson and the US Army retaliate against Seminole massacres in Georgia by attacking the Seminole raiders and fugitive slaves in Spanish Florida, even overthrowing the Spanish governor. The Spanish government decided to negotiate the sale of Florida for a lump sum of money rather than be faced with a US military takeover of the state, and the USA purchased Florida for $91,262,572. In addition, the US relinquished all territorial claims west of the Sabine River, leaving Tejas as a part of Spain.